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#BookReview : Flowers for the Dead by Barbara Copperthwaite @BCopperthwait

“Flowers for the Dead” by Barbara Copperthwaite, was published September 2015. It is available in paperback or eBook. Purchase from Amazon UK ~ Amazon US

Synopsis:

ADAM WILL DO ANYTHING TO MAKE LAURA HAPPY. EVEN IF IT KILLS HER.

After a devastating car crash wipes out her family, Laura struggles to get her life together. Grieving, she becomes forgetful. She doesn’t remember how money got into her purse, or buying that pint of milk…

Adam is the perfect boyfriend. He cooks meals. He does the housework. He looks after Laura’s every need. He knows everything about her.

But Laura has never met Adam. And she knows nothing about him.

What turned him into a monster who stalks his victims? How did he become warped from a sensitive boy who adored the fairy tales his gran read to him? And what is he trying to say with the bouquets he sends?

This dark, gripping psychological thriller will have you holding your breath until the very last page. Fans of Into The Darkest Corner, Behind Closed Doors, and Sometimes I Lie will be captivated.

My Thoughts:

Adam and Laura have both had events in their past that have left their mark. Laura lost her family in a car accident, but Adam is there to help her clean, cook, get food leaves flowers he really is the perfect boyfriend. One problem is that Laura does not know him, never met him, but Adam knows all about Laura and has seen her on many occasions.

Oh this is such a devilishly delicious read. It is creepy and a little scary. The story of flits back and forth for Adam, his growing up, the things he had to deal with from his childhood through to present day. The thing is though, I actually like the character of Adam, Barbara has created a character that you want to sympathise with, you feel sorry for him in his childhood and teen years. He is a lonely, sad, shy, who has no confidence or friends leaving him withdrawn, he finds solace in his imaginary worlds and also with his Grandmother. There are other characters in this book, Police and family , but they have been used sparingly but add enough links to keep the flow of the story. They add links between events and places and this for me helped the story span the years and the places.

The pacing of this story is great, it starts off running and then calms and then is off at full pelt as the finale and conclusion are met. By the end of the book, all questions are answered, well almost all…there are some things in people’s lives that will never be known completely.

The psychological thriller aspect of this book is great, Barbara has used the this story line really well to create a wonderful feeling of suspense and tension. From Adam’s perspective we are given a reason of sorts as to why he behaves as he does, for me he was a brilliant character. Even now I still kind of like him, it does feel a little wrong to admit this, but it’s true.

This is a book that readers of psychological crime and thriller genres will love, it has a devilishly sinister and believable plot, well written with some great characters.

I was lucky to win a copy of this book as part of a giveaway Barbara had run before Christmas. My thoughts on this book are my own and are unbiased.

About the Author:

Barbara is the best-selling author of psychological thrillers INVISIBLE, FLOWERS FOR THE DEAD, THE DARKEST LIES, and HER LAST SECRET.

Much of her success is thanks to her twenty-odd years’ experience as a national newspaper and magazine journalist. She’s interviewed the real victims of crime – and also those who have carried those crimes out. Thanks to people sharing their stories with her, she knows the emotional impact of violence and wrong-doing. That’s why her novels are dark, realistic and tackle not just the crime but its repercussions.

When not writing feverishly, she is often found hiding behind a camera, taking wildlife photographs.

To find out more about Barbara’s novels, go to Facebook or follow on Twitter. To find out more about Barbara go to Website

My copy of this book came with “crime scene tape”, now call me daft but I loved this additional little extra that Barbara had added, as well as chololate and a signed personalised card 😀 😛

Many thanks for reading my post. If you liked it give a little share. Better still go and get yourself a copy of this book xx